Harrisburg, Pa (November 12, 2025) — State Senator Carolyn Comitta released the following statement after voting for a budget agreement and related code bills that ended the state budget impasse:
“I am thankful that we were finally able to reach a compromise and pass a budget that invests in public education, safety, job growth, affordability, and the services that so many of our neighbors depend on.
Better yet, we were able to do it without touching the Rainy Day Fund or raising taxes. In fact, the budget includes a tax cut for nearly 1 million working Pennsylvanians and their families through a new program – the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit.
While the budget should have never taken this long, it delivers some stability and reliability for people being impacted by the ongoing turbulence and confusion at the federal level.
Government works through collaboration, bipartisanship, mutual respect, and compromise. This budget has some bright spots, but voting for it required putting aside Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which I have been working toward for years.
It was a tough decision, but it was the right one to move forward from this budget impasse and find a new way to reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions.”
The budget also includes investments and reforms in the following areas:
Education:
- $526 million in new funding to meet our court-order obligation to adequately and constitutionally fund our public schools.
- $175 million in school district savings from cyber charter funding reform.
- $40 million increase in special education funding.
- $30 million for student teacher stipends.
Safety:
- Additional funding for new state police cadet classes.
- $61 million in targeted investments to reduce violent crime and gun violence.
- $10 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Affordability and Economic Growth:
- $193 million back to families for the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit.
- $25 million to recruit and retain childcare workers.
- $2.5 to support emergency housing at the local level.
- $8.8 million to attract and retain businesses in Pennsylvania.
- $50 million for special events coming to Pennsylvania in the next year like America250, the FIFA World Cup, the NFL Draft, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and the MLB All Star Game.
Community Services:
- $11 million increase for food programs.
- $10 million increase for home and community-based services for seniors.
- $21 million increase for direct care workers.
- $5 million increase for public libraries.